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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · spring · mouse · bank · fall · perch · race · bowl

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fall — to drop
  5. perch — the fish
  6. spring — of water
  7. fall — the season
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. race — humankind
  12. bank — for money
  13. race — a contest
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com